Synthetic Epigenetics

Cells with identical genomes can exhibit distinct phenotypes and states that are stably maintained. This capacity is achieved with self-propagating systems that maintain molecular memory of past signals. I will discuss our efforts to apply synthetic biology to explore and engineer these biological systems. Specifically, I will discuss the development of synthetic tools and circuits for controlling: (1) molecular changes to chromatin to produce gene expression programs and memory; and (2) an altogether different form of epigenetics, encoded in the self-propagating conformations of prion proteins. The predictive engineering of these epigenetic systems will expand the types of cellular responses that can be achieved, and enable memories and traits to be encoded into synthetic biological organisms.